Steam-heater



(No Model.)

W. H. CURTIS.

STEAM HEATER.

No. 548,429. Patented Oct. 22, 1895.

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c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. CURTIS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

STEAM-H EATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 548,429, dated October22, 1895.

Application filed June 21,1895. Serial No. 553,524. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of llIichigan,have invented certain new and usef ul Improvements in Steam-Heaters, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings.

The invention consists in the construction of a steam-heater intendedfor use in drying lumber, heating buildings, &c., and belongs to thattype in which the air is forced through a heating-chamber to the placewhere it is intended to be used.

The invention particularly consists in the construction of a heatercomprising hollow bases, suitable steam supply and drip pipes, and aseries of nested heating or radiatingpipes connected thereto, the pipesbeing so constructed and arranged that they are approximately of equallength, so as to produce as nearly as possible a perfect and even steamdistribution, and further to take care of the expansion and contractionwithout damage to the apparatus.

The invention further consists in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the various parts, all as more f nlly hereinafterdescribed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my heater, composedof a series of like sections coupled with a fan for forcing theaircurrent through the heating-chamber. Fig. 2 is a sectionalperspective View of one section of the base.

I prefer to make my heater in divisions, each complete in itself, havinga suitable steam-supply and drain pipe, so that the size or heating areamay be varied by simply adding to or taking away the desired number ofsections. Such construction also enables me to control the heat in thevarious divisions separately, so thatI may regulate the temperature ofthe air in the heater as desired, or so that I may, if necessary, usepart of the division for exhaust-steam and part for live steam.

As all of the divisions are alike, a description of one will sufiice forall.

A is the fan for forcing the air into the heating-chamber B. In thisdrying-chamber I have shown four heater-divisions. Each consists of theseparate hollow base-sections O C. These base-sections have an inclinedbottom a, which is adapted to discharge into the trough or drain b atthe sides, as plainly shown in the drawings.

D is the steam-supply pipe leading into the base at one side.

E is a drain or drip pipe connected to the troughed portion of thebases. The top of the base-sections are provided with a number of seriesof aligned apertures c. In these apertures are secured the risers F ofthe radiating pipes, the outer risers being connected by the horizontalpipes G, while the inner risers are connected through a series of loopsor return coils H so constructed as to give to each pipe as nearly aspossible a uniform passage for the steam and also to provide a hingedconnection between the heating-pipes supported upon the base-sections,so as to take up satisfactorily the expansion and contraction thereofwithout danger of breaking the joints.

By an inspection of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the first of the innerpipes for the coils H has but one coil, while the inner pipes have agradually-increasing number of coils, to give the effect abovedescribed. The effect of this construction is to make a series ofaligned nested radiator sections supported upon and connecting the twoseparate base-sections of each division. It is evident that any numberof these divisions may be arranged side by side, and that if a separatevalved controlled drain and steam-pipe is provided that the heat in eachmay be separately controlled. WVhere a series of these divisions arearranged in a single heater, I preferably place the diaphragms I betweenthe divisions and prevent the air from going too freely through theotherwise unobstructed space beneath the bases. With this construction Iget a large steam-space in the base-sections, sufficient to supplyuniformly all the radiating-pipes connected thereto, and I also get thefull benefit of the radiation from the base-sections in addition to theuniform radiation from all parts of the system.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. A steam heater comprising two hollowbase sections, steam supply, drain pipes for the bases, and a series ofnested radiating IOU pipes of approximately equal length connecting thetops of the base section's, having horizontal sections to take up theexpansion and contraction.

2. A steam heater comprising two hollow base sections, a steam supplyentering one section, drain pipes and a series of nested radiating pipesarranged with the coils of one pipe surrounded by the adjacent pipeconnecting the top of the base sections, the radi ating, pipes being ofsubstantially uniform length.

3. A steam heater comprising two separated hollow base sections, steamsupply and drain pipes, a nested series of aligned radiating pipesconnecting the tops of the base sections, outer connecting pipes beingsubstantially inverted U shaped, the inner pipes comprising a number ofloops or return bends, to produce a substantially uniform length of allthe pipes.

4. In a steam heater, the combination of the casing, a series ofdivisional heaters therein, each comprising separated base sections, aseries of nested aligned radiating pipes conmeeting the tops of thebases the pipes arranged with the coils of one pipe surrounded by theadjacent pipe, the base sections having the inclined bottom a the troughb, and the steam supply and drain pipes, substantially as described.

5. In a steam heater, the combination of the casing, a series ofdivisions, each comprising the separated hollow base sections, thenested radiator pipes connecting the base sections, and the diaphrazms Ibetween the base sections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. CURTIS.

\Vitnesses:

M. B. ODOGHERTY, 0. F. BARTHEL.

